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How to Create a Planar Transformer PCB Design

Planar transformers are increasingly being used on printed circuit boards

(PCB) in switch mode power supplies, DC-DC converters, gate drivers and

other power electronic circuits owing to their compact size, improved

performance, lower cost and ease of integration.

Designing planar transformers requires following specific layout

guidelines and PCB design practices to achieve the electrical parameters,

minimize parasitic losses and ensure manufacturability. This article

provides a comprehensive guide on designing planar transformer PCBs.

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Table of Contents

What is a Planar Transformer?

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A planar transformer is a flat, low profile transformer fabricated using PCB

technology. The windings are made from etched copper tracks and turns

on the PCB layers. The core is realized using the PCB dielectric material

itself by interleaving the winding layers.

Planar transformers provide the electrical isolation, voltage

transformation and energy transfer functions of conventional wire wound

transformers in a smaller surface mount device footprint. Key advantages

include:

 Extremely low profile and small size

 Improved power density

 Lower leakage inductance

 Reduced parasitic capacitance

 Tightly controlled characteristics

 Simplified manufacturing

 Cost effective compared to hand wound transformers

Planar transformers are widely used in SMPS, LLC and other converters,

gate drives, CM choke applications and RF impedance matching circuits.

Planar vs Conventional Wire Wound Transformer Comparison

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Parameter Planar Transformer Wire Wound Transformer

Construction Windings etched as tracks on PCB Windings made from insulated wi
Core PCB dielectric material Ferrite, iron alloys etc.
Size Extremely compact and low profile Larger, significant height
Leakage Inductance Very low due to tight coupling Higher due to poorer coupling
Parasitic Low as limited overlapping area High due to more overlapping wi
Capacitance
AC Resistance Low as wider copper tracks Higher due to thinner winding wi
Turns Ratio Range Typical 1:1 to 1:5 Wide – 10:1 or more
Power Levels Lower – less than 10W usually Higher power handling capacity
Cost Lower due to PCB process Higher labor for hand winding
Integration Excellent, embed directly on PCB Moderate, but requires mounting
Repeatability Very consistent and controlled Poorer tolerance and unit-unit
variation
Efficiency >90% in well designed planar >95% in conventional transforme
transformers

Planar Transformer Construction

Planar transformers fabricated on PCB comprise the following elements:

 Primary Winding – Made from PCB copper traces forming turns on a

dedicated layer.

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 Secondary Winding – Second layer with turns made using etched

PCB tracks.

 Dielectric Layers – FR4 or other PCB substrate dielectrics act as

insulating barrier between windings.

 Magnetic Core – The PCB dielectric layers themselves form the core

of the planar transformer.

 Interconnections – Vias interconnect the ends of primary and

secondary windings for circuit connections.

 Shield Layer – Additional PCB copper layer to enclose windings

for EMI control.

 Encapsulation – Transformer may be encapsulated with epoxy or

molding for protection.

Design Process for a Planar Transformer PCB

The typical design flow involves the following steps:

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1. Define Electrical Specifications

 Required primary and secondary voltages

 Turns ratio

 Output power

 Switching frequency

 Duty cycle

 Efficiency target

 Other parameters like leakage inductance etc.

2. Select Core Material

 Choice of PCB dielectric material (FR4, Isola, Rogers, etc.)

 Number of layers in PCB stackup

 Thickness of dielectric layers

3. Calculate Number of Turns

 Determine number of primary and secondary turns to achieve turns

ratio based on voltages

 Account for minimum required inductance

 Estimate effective core area

4. Estimate Conductor Thickness

 Select copper thickness/weight to handle expected load current

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 Account for allowable temperature rise

5. Design Winding Layout

 Arrange turns to minimize overall area

 Ensure adequate creepage and clearance between windings

 Include shielding layer if needed

6. Size Winding Traces

 Calculate trace width and spacing to match copper thickness

 Manage leakage inductance via tight trace coupling

 Minimize parasitic capacitance between windings

7. Validate Electrical Performance

 Simulate transformer design to verify inductance, losses,

impedance etc.

 Iterate to meet specifications

8. Finalize PCB Layout

 Layout board with integrated planar transformer following best

practices

 Add test points for characterization

9. Test Prototype

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 Fabricate prototype PCB and evaluate transformer parameters

 Correlate measurements with simulations

 Tune design if required and repeat prototype testing

The intricacies involved in each step are explained in detail in the following

sections.

Selecting Core Material and Stackup

The choice of PCB dielectric material and layer stackup determines the

magnetic core properties of the planar transformer:

 PCB Dielectric Type – FR4, Isola, Rogers, Arlon etc. Low loss

dielectrics improve efficiency.

 Number of Layers – More layers increase primary to secondary

isolation and creepage distance. 4 to 6 layers are typical.

 Core Thickness – Total thickness of dielectric layers comprising the

core affects inductance.

 Dielectric Constant – Impacts achievable inductance since magnetic

field lines pass through dielectric.

 Loss Tangent – Low loss tangent materials reduce eddy current

losses improving efficiency.

 Z-direction Thermal Conductivity – Helps conduct heat from

windings to external PCB layers.

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For low power planar transformers, typically 2 oz. copper layers are used.

For higher current capacity, 3 oz. or 4 oz. copper or even heavier copper

up to 6 oz. can be utilized.

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Calculating Number of Turns and Inductance

The number of turns required depends on the input and output voltages

of the planar transformer based on the standard transformer voltage

equation:

Vp / Vs = Np / Ns

Where:

Vp = Primary Voltage

Vs = Secondary Voltage

Np = Number of Primary Turns

Ns = Number of Secondary Turns

Once the turns ratio is determined, the actual number of turns can be

calculated based on the area of the windings using:

L = (N^2 * A * μ) / l

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Where:

L = Inductance in Henries

N = Number of turns

A = Cross sectional area of core in m^2

μ = Permeability of core

l = Magnetic path length in meters

For planar transformers, conservative inductance targets are preferred

since achieving very high inductance requires large number of turns

increasing size. Typical inductance values range from 1μH to 30μH for

most designs.

Winding Layout Design

The winding layout arrangement determines the magnetic coupling and

performance. Some layout guidelines are:

 Place windings as close as manufacturing tolerances permit for

tight magnetic coupling

 Interleave or cross windings at 90 degrees for high mutual

inductance

 Minimize winding layers for reduced proximity effect losses

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 Keep windings compact to increase magnetic field concentration

 Maintain symmetry between windings for optimal coupling

 Surround with ground shield to contain electromagnetic fields

 Align winding axes to improve coupling and repeatability

 Place tuner components like resonating capacitors close to

minimize stray interconnect inductance

Winding patterns can be interleaved, stacked, sectionalized or interwoven

based on performance targets, manufacturability constraints and the

number of available PCB layers.

Determining Optimal Winding Trace Dimensions

The width and spacing of the copper traces comprising the planar

transformer windings must be carefully designed:

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 Trace Width – Based on expected load current and allowable

temperature rise. Wider traces have higher conductance.

 Trace Thickness – Depends on copper weight used. Heavier copper

can carry more current.

 Trace Spacing – Controls leakage inductance. Tighter spacing

reduces leakage inductance.

 Edge Spacing – Increased spacing at turns edges reduces fringing

effects and improves coupling.

 Trace Length – Impacts DC resistance. Shorter length decreases

losses.

 Number of Layers – More parallel layers lowers AC resistance and

proximity effect.

 Fill Ratio – Ratio of total trace width to pitch should be maximized

for high coupling.

 Layers Spacing – Thicker spacing between layers increases creepage

distance and isolation.

Electrical simulations are used to determine the optimal trade-off between

trace dimensions, leakage inductance, DC resistance and capacitance.

Simulating and Characterizing Planar Transformer

Performance

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Simulating the designed planar transformer is key before fabrication to

verify performance against specifications and characterize parameters

like:

 Turns Ratio – Verify transformation ratio between primary and

secondary voltages.

 Inductance – Leakage and magnetizing inductance of both

windings.

 DC Resistance – Resistance of primary and secondary windings.

 Q Factor – Quality factor determining losses.

 Leakage Fields – Fringing leakage flux between windings.

 Current Density – Validate winding trace thickness can carry

maximum current loading.

 Impedance -Transformer input and output impedance at operating

frequencies.

 Efficiency – Simulate core and copper losses to estimate achievable

efficiency.

Any issues found during simulation can be addressed by revising the

design before layout and prototype fabrication.

Layout Best Practices for Optimal Planar Transformer

Performance

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Careful attention must be paid to the PCB layout to realize the full

performance potential of a planar transformer:

 Maintain symmetry between primary and secondary windings for

good matching.

 Place windings on adjacent layers for tight magnetic coupling and

low leakage fields.

 Minimize overlap between non-adjacent winding layers to reduce

inter-winding capacitance.

 Use shielding layers above and below windings to reduce EMI

emissions and interference.

 Surround with ground fills and voids in planes under the core area

to prevent eddy current losses.

 Incorporate thermal reliefs and voids in thermal pads for

proper heat dissipation from windings.

 Ensure sufficient isolation spacing between primary and secondary

circuits.

 Add test points to enable characterization of transformer after

fabrication.

 Keep high dv/dt traces away from the transformer area to prevent

EMI coupling.

 Use staggered and multi-Via stitching to provide robust

interconnections.

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 Maintain adequate creepage and clearance from transformer to

other components and board edges.

Simulation vs Measurement Correlation

Once the prototype PCB with integrated planar transformer is fabricated,

the parameters must be measured to correlate with simulated values.

Good correlation helps validate the accuracy of modeling and design

process for future designs.

Differences between simulated and measured results can be due to:

 Variations in dielectric constant or loss tangent of material.

 Inaccurate estimates of trace dimensions or spacing.

 Layer registration tolerance and misalignments.

 Improper calibration or parasitic effects during measurements.

 Simplified assumptions in simulation models.

 Process defects like under etching of traces.

 Damage to windings or tracks during board handling and assembly.

The design can be fine tuned based on feedback from measured results to

achieve results closer to simulations. The improved model then becomes

the baseline for subsequent design iterations.

Applications of Planar Transformers

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Some common applications where planar transformers provide benefits

are:

 Gate Driver Circuits: Used to drive power transistors and IGBTs

isolated from control electronics.

 Switch Mode Power Supplies: Small planar transformers used in

DC-DC converters, LLC resonant converters, and other SMPS.

 CM Chokes: Provide common mode noise filtering while passing

differential signals.

 EMI Suppression: Low leakage enables high CMRR for power line

EMI filtering.

 Audio Circuits: Low profile high fidelity transformers used in

headphone amplifiers and other audio applications.

 Impedance Matching: Match signal sources to transmission lines in

RF circuitry.

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 Voltage Translation: Voltage transformation for battery backed

systems like RTCs and memory.

 Flyback Converters: Compact efficient planar transformers used in

low power flyback SMPS.

 Medical Electronics: Electrical isolation required for patient safety

in medical devices.

Design Challenges with Planar Transformers

Some of the common design challenges encountered with planar

transformers that must be addressed are:

 Achieving sufficient inductance within the available PCB area and

layers.

 Minimizing eddy current losses in windings due to high

frequency AC currents.

 Reducing inter-winding capacitance leading to increased losses and

EMI.

 Preventing core saturation due to DC bias current in transformer

windings.

 Handling thermal rise due to resistive copper losses in windings

under load.

 Containing electromagnetic interference and noise pickup or

radiation.

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 Providing adequate galvanic isolation between primary and

secondary circuits.

 Ensuring proper impedance matching between source and load

connected to transformer.

 Overcoming variations in manufacturability of tight tolerance

windings across PCB fabrication shops.

Design Review Checklist

The following checklist summarizes the key points to review during the

design review process for a planar transformer PCB design:

 Confirm electrical parameters like inductance, turns ratio, efficiency

meet requirements.

 Verify adequate isolation spacing between primary and secondary.

 Check for sufficient creepage distance between high voltage nodes.

 Ensure trace width and copper thickness can carry maximum

current loading.

 Validate adequate thermal heat sinking of windings to handle

dissipated power.

 Review parasitic capacitance and leakage inductance meets target

levels.

 Evaluate EMI emissions and susceptibility performance.

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 Confirm mechanical spacings for manufacturing and service

clearances are met.

 Check board area utilized compared to conventional discrete

transformer.

 Ensure models and simulations have been correlated with

measured results on prototypes.

 Review if design leverages PCB technology benefits fully compared

to hand wound transformers.

 Validate design margins, deratings and analyze risks due to unit-unit

variations.

Conclusion

Well designed planar transformers enable realizing the advantages of

compactness, improved efficiency, lower cost, tighter tolerance and

excellent integration offered by the PCB fabrication technology. However,

careful modeling, analysis and layout techniques must be followed paying

attention to electromagnetic, thermal and manufacturing considerations.

Leveraging PCB design automation tools for analysis, verification and

layout greatly simplifies creating high performance planar transformers

tailored to the application needs.

Frequently Asked Questions on Designing Planar

Transformers
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Q1. What are the typical dielectric core materials used for planar transformer

PCBs?

FR4 is commonly used due to low cost. For higher performance, RF

materials like Isola, Rogers, Arlon etc. are preferable due to lower loss

tangent.

Q2. How many turns should be used for planar transformer windings?

Optimal number of turns depends on required inductance and voltages.

Typical range is 4-6 turns for primary and secondary to balance size and

performance.

Q3. What PCB copper thickness should be used for planar transformer windings?

1 oz. or 2 oz. copper is suitable for low current designs. For higher load

current handling, 3 oz., 4 oz. or thicker copper up to 6 oz. would be

recommended.

Q4. What construction approaches are used for multilayer planar transformers?

Interleaved, stacked, sectionalized and interwoven winding arrangements

on multiple layers are commonly used construction techniques.

Q5. How can performance differences between simulation and measurements of

fabricated planar transformer be minimized?

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Careful modeling of parasitics and tolerances coupled with correlation

using prototype measurements helps improve simulation accuracy and

achieve results closer to real performance.

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